I think that it should be considered where they come from and see where they worked before. It gives us enough information if they can handle the big time. The road starts with baby-steps.

Also to see if they can handle matches very well. There is a reason why some wrestlers have a following because they believe that they can deliver. It is all on creative if they will fuck it up or not.

So, if you're one of those people who can accept seeing people getting cut, despite you believing that they could be future prospects, then by all means, enjoy NXT. If you're not however, I wouldn't suggest you do it.

I think you were meaning this to be directed to those who are incapable of thinking outside of a single dimension so I will go a bit easy on this because I think you had good intentions K2J. But this...

Originally Posted by Robstar

By this logic, you should never check out what an actor did before their "breakthrough" role either. Don't bother watching them in less than successful or spectacular movies - hold out until they are in a blockbuster.

Never pay attention to a driver until they win a race that matters. Don't support a team that's never won a championship. Never vote for anyone who's never previously held office. Don't go out with a girl you've never gone out with before. Never try new foods.

In short, don't take any chances, don't attempt to live outside the box, don't give yourself the chance to be surprised by anything, just stick to the status quo. Don't risk anything.

says it all in what you are directing people to do in steering away from watching a show like NXT. I might pride myself on the fact that I follow as many promotions as possible (as best I can), but it's because of that I get to appreciate when someone like CM Punk hits it big in WWE, or when a purist like Bryan Danielson adopts an "out of character" role like he has, or when the humor of a Christopher Daniels is on full frontal display. Had I not followed these guys for so long, would I be able to fully appreciate just how great they have adapted over the course of time? The same goes for a Tyler Black and Jon Moxley; seeing the athleticism they can display and the roots of their creativity gives me that ray of hope that they will succeed and even excel at the higher level.

Had I known nothing of what Colt Cabana was as a wrestler developing through the ranks of the Indies, I would be left thinking of him as less than Barry Horrowitz. Had I not seen LowKi from 2001, I would be left thinking that Kaval was nothing more than a glorified Maven. Would you think that these men are of a similar comparison? My point is that by following the paths of these younger talents careers, I have that sense of connection when they truly hit their stride; without that connection, they are just a flash in the pan to which you might miss out on just how much potential the E Universe saw in them before they signed them into the company. Wouldn't you like to know why they felt compelled to hire someone even if they are used as nothing more than enhancement talent?

I think you were meaning this to be directed to those who are incapable of thinking outside of a single dimension so I will go a bit easy on this because I think you had good intentions K2J. But this...

says it all in what you are directing people to do in steering away from watching a show like NXT. I might pride myself on the fact that I follow as many promotions as possible (as best I can), but it's because of that I get to appreciate when someone like CM Punk hits it big in WWE, or when a purist like Bryan Danielson adopts an "out of character" role like he has, or when the humor of a Christopher Daniels is on full frontal display. Had I not followed these guys for so long, would I be able to fully appreciate just how great they have adapted over the course of time? The same goes for a Tyler Black and Jon Moxley; seeing the athleticism they can display and the roots of their creativity gives me that ray of hope that they will succeed and even excel at the higher level.

Had I known nothing of what Colt Cabana was as a wrestler developing through the ranks of the Indies, I would be left thinking of him as less than Barry Horrowitz. Had I not seen LowKi from 2001, I would be left thinking that Kaval was nothing more than a glorified Maven. Would you think that these men are of a similar comparison? My point is that by following the paths of these younger talents careers, I have that sense of connection when they truly hit their stride; without that connection, they are just a flash in the pan to which you might miss out on just how much potential the E Universe saw in them before they signed them into the company. Wouldn't you like to know why they felt compelled to hire someone even if they are used as nothing more than enhancement talent?

I was wondering where you were. Can't have Jordan making the slam dunks with Pippen patting him on the back.

All kidding aside, thank you for recognizing that my "steer clear" message was intended for those who are incapable of not being disappointed and not for the wrestling community as a whole. And although it would be very gratifying to know where these talents came from, that's really where I like my ties with them to end. I don't feel very compelled to know their background history until they actually land in the major leagues. It'll give me an idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are without getting too attached to them. Of course you've expressed the benefits of knowing that the man/woman you've been watching grow up in the business for years gets to become a big shot but if that were the only definite reality, I wouldn't have this close minded, nihilistic approach in the first place. Unfortunately, there's a much more more grisly side to the coin of fate and I've seen too many of my favorites brushed off for me to venture out of my bubble. It's better for me this way and it might be better for others to follow suit if they can't handle themselves should it all come crashing down for the person that they thought could have made it big time.

I was wondering where you were. Can't have Jordan making the slam dunks with Pippen patting him on the back.

All kidding aside, thank you for recognizing that my "steer clear" message was intended for those who are incapable of not being disappointed and not for the wrestling community as a whole. And although it would be very gratifying to know where these talents came from, that's really where I like my ties with them to end. I don't feel very compelled to know their background history until they actually land in the major leagues. It'll give me an idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are without getting too attached to them. Of course you've expressed the benefits of knowing that the man/woman you've been watching grow up in the business for years gets to become a big shot but if that were the only definite reality, I wouldn't have this close minded, nihilistic approach in the first place. Unfortunately, there's a much more more grisly side to the coin of fate and I've seen too many of my favorites brushed off for me to venture out of my bubble. It's better for me this way and it might be better for others to follow suit if they can't handle themselves should it all come crashing down for the person that they thought could have made it big time.

I like to think of it as his Joe Montana to my Jerry Rice, but I am American, so I stick with football when I can

I appreciate the thought you put into your post which is why I took the time to respond properly. However, I respectfully think that your idea is the opposite of what the purpose of wrestling is. The whole point of the art is that the performer connects with his audience on an emotional level. That is why you get lost in a match between two of your favorites; regardless if it’s predetermined, you still pull yourself closer to the edge of your seat after a major move followed by a near fall. Sure, you can still experience this without knowing the back drop, but that moment when/if Tyson Kidd gets a major title is going to mean so much to me since I have followed him for so long. I have been waiting for that moment to come for so long now that when/if it finally happens, I will jump out of my seat with my hands in the air; similar to when a club football team get the final goal on penalty kicks, or when my Houston Texans complete a game winning drive with less than 2 minutes to play. My emotions are fully invested into the franchise/personality that I am following and my actions show that.

By what you are saying, you are informing me to restrict, better yet, hinder my emotional attachment to these people. If this is the case, why do I even bother to watch? It’s all predetermined anyways, so the results are void. There is nothing to affect me on an emotional level, so there is no reason to continue following the program. Sure, there have been a MILLION Lowki’s for every CM Punk, but the fact is that when that one player gets to shine bright, headlining the “Grand Daddy of them all”, that is the moment when all those who have failed before him seem irrelevant to the fact that “my guy” made it to the top. If you had a kid you grew up with become a pro ball player (any sport) and climbed his way out of the minors and into the major leagues, would you not be enthused to tell others how you knew him when he was beginning? And the moment they win the major title, would you not have a piece of you celebrating for him?

I know I am long winded, but it’s because of discussions like this I crave the chance to allow my literary side to take over, so bear with me. The point of wrestling is to get you to invest into a character; cheer them, boo them, love them, hate them. You have a MUCH greater investment into someone you follow through Indies until they become the top of the food chain because of the time you have spent following them. If you choose to avoid following them from the earliest point possible, you prevent yourself from being a fully invested fan, in other words, investing in them on a level seperate than that of a "common" fan. I am saying that you are limiting yourself to truly connect with these “superstars” you seem to follow on a regular basis. If this is the case and you don’t want to fully invest into their characters, why even follow them at all? You could avoid watching and not miss a beat because there is no emotional connection to the product or it's personalities.

I understand why the the OP doesn't watch NXT. Nothing wrong with that at all. We have all seen guys that were hyped up only to fall flat on their faces once making it to the big time. It happens all the time and is nothing new. Out of the current batch that just debuted, I'm guessing maybe one or maybe two will make an solid impact.

I watch it just because the wrestling action is pretty damn good and it's a good chance to see the younger guys trying to make a name for themselves. I attend live NXT house shows all the time and for a fraction of the cost I get to watch 8 solid wrestling matches with no bullcrap for the most part. I find it more entertaining then attending a WWE house show and it's without spending double the $$$.

If the only thing you watched back in the day was the WWE, you saw a guy like Steve Austin come in with 6 years of experience on his back. You didn't know that he had that much experience, but he came in with that much under his belt under the guise of clean slate. Going back even further when things were truly regional, there was no way in hell to watch what the other territories were doing, other than tape trading or reading magazines... thus you may know someone coming into your territory by name and what's written about him, but you may not have seen him at all.

I treat the different shows the same way. I don't watch NXT or Superstars, and I rarely watch Smackdown these days. To me they may as well be territories that I have no hope of seeing. I might know someone coming into RAW by name but I wouldn't have seen his stuff, so a guy like that would be under a clean slate. To be honest the IWC has completely ruined Ambrose for me. People think he's the second coming of Jesus Christ and sure talk about him that way, but what I see on TV is a guy that seems like he's drunk 24/7 with a slight gay lisp on him, who has absolutely no idea how to sell anything facially(did you see that face that he made during the TLC match? y'know... THAT one). I might've been more forgiving if people didn't talk about him like he was the Father incarnate.

EDIT: I'm liking Roman Reigns... could that be because people shit on him for being green(or simply because he hasn't worked in the indies for years) and thus I'm more forgiving for that? Seth Rollins despite the talk has sure proven himself so far in that one match.

I've never watched a full episode of NXT / FCW. Just online clips here and there.

When a developmental talent debuts on the main-roster, I usually have the luxury of watching them perform for the first time. And it's only AFTER they debut that I might YouTube one of their old matches. What happens down in Florida isn't meant to be watched by the fans anyways.

K2Jelly you know I say this with respect but I disagree with you. You can watch NXT and not be attached to the superstars. Sometimes I listen to bands before they hit the mainstream... I have no problem saying their music turned into crap when it hit the big stage.... doesn't this seem very similar to what your saying about these guys, if they turn out to be bad (I don't watch nxt but from what I have see I think all these guys could be future champions) people who watch nxt shouldn't worry about it... they had a quality showing in the indies that they enjoyed... and might even go back there for them to enjoy more.... another example of this happening in sports would be in the nfl when a player is awesome in the college game... doesn't always translate... tim tebow was a first rounder that blocks punts now hahahh

K2Jelly you know I say this with respect but I disagree with you. You can watch NXT and not be attached to the superstars. Sometimes I listen to bands before they hit the mainstream... I have no problem saying their music turned into crap when it hit the big stage.... doesn't this seem very similar to what your saying about these guys, if they turn out to be bad (I don't watch nxt but from what I have see I think all these guys could be future champions) people who watch nxt shouldn't worry about it... they had a quality showing in the indies that they enjoyed... and might even go back there for them to enjoy more.... another example of this happening in sports would be in the nfl when a player is awesome in the college game... doesn't always translate... tim tebow was a first rounder that blocks punts now hahahh

Very well comparison there Dennis.

If anything all these guys earned their chance at stardom. Some more then others like Ambrose and Rollins who IMO are the two that really deserved it. Reigns, Big E, and Maddox I didn't see happening this soon. I can honestly say that I didn't see Maddox happening at all.

I like to think of it as his Joe Montana to my Jerry Rice, but I am American, so I stick with football when I can

I appreciate the thought you put into your post which is why I took the time to respond properly. However, I respectfully think that your idea is the opposite of what the purpose of wrestling is. The whole point of the art is that the performer connects with his audience on an emotional level. That is why you get lost in a match between two of your favorites; regardless if it’s predetermined, you still pull yourself closer to the edge of your seat after a major move followed by a near fall. Sure, you can still experience this without knowing the back drop, but that moment when/if Tyson Kidd gets a major title is going to mean so much to me since I have followed him for so long. I have been waiting for that moment to come for so long now that when/if it finally happens, I will jump out of my seat with my hands in the air; similar to when a club football team get the final goal on penalty kicks, or when my Houston Texans complete a game winning drive with less than 2 minutes to play. My emotions are fully invested into the franchise/personality that I am following and my actions show that.

By what you are saying, you are informing me to restrict, better yet, hinder my emotional attachment to these people. If this is the case, why do I even bother to watch? It’s all predetermined anyways, so the results are void. There is nothing to affect me on an emotional level, so there is no reason to continue following the program. Sure, there have been a MILLION Lowki’s for every CM Punk, but the fact is that when that one player gets to shine bright, headlining the “Grand Daddy of them all”, that is the moment when all those who have failed before him seem irrelevant to the fact that “my guy” made it to the top. If you had a kid you grew up with become a pro ball player (any sport) and climbed his way out of the minors and into the major leagues, would you not be enthused to tell others how you knew him when he was beginning? And the moment they win the major title, would you not have a piece of you celebrating for him?

I know I am long winded, but it’s because of discussions like this I crave the chance to allow my literary side to take over, so bear with me. The point of wrestling is to get you to invest into a character; cheer them, boo them, love them, hate them. You have a MUCH greater investment into someone you follow through Indies until they become the top of the food chain because of the time you have spent following them. If you choose to avoid following them from the earliest point possible, you prevent yourself from being a fully invested fan, in other words, investing in them on a level seperate than that of a "common" fan. I am saying that you are limiting yourself to truly connect with these “superstars” you seem to follow on a regular basis. If this is the case and you don’t want to fully invest into their characters, why even follow them at all? You could avoid watching and not miss a beat because there is no emotional connection to the product or it's personalities.

See, the thing with NXT is that it's an obstacle that the development talent have to overcome. It's basically a waiting game to see where they go next. If they're already on the main roster, I've got a ton of a lot more distractions and prospects to keep me occupied and content should one of them get the boot. Like I said, in NXT, the same applies, but it doesn't mean anything to me since they're not already in the Promised Land. That's why I can get invested into characters that are on the main roster because at that point, there was nothing more for them to accomplish if they got cut vs. those who could have been big hits but never got to that point.